March 2008

Unless otherwise indicated, sessions occur in the Learning and Teaching Centre (LTC) Classroom in the Harry Hickman Building (HHB) Room 128.

If the register buttons are not working, please contact us by email.

A Day at The Writing Centre - The Grammar Hammer: Good Grammar for Great Writing ~ Part I
Saturday, March 1, 2008
10:00 AM ~ 12:00 PM, HHB 110
With Carolyn Pytlyk, Department of Linguistics and The Writing Centre, and Shu-min Huang, Applied Linguistics and The Writing Centre
The Grammar Hammer is back! The Grammar Hammer workshop is made up of three parts. Part I of this workshop focuses on grammar fundamentals. In this session, writers will practice identifying parts of speech as well as creating complex sentence structures. Part II of this workshop (by request) is all about verbs. In Part II writers will learn about tense, aspect and mood. Part III of this workshop is designed to help writers identify and correct common grammatical errors found in writing. Some of the error types covered include sentence fragments, comma splices, punctuation errors and agreement issues. There is a limit of 30 participants for this session, so please register soon.
Please note:
- This workshop is free.
- There will be a writing tutor available from 10:00 AM ~ 3:00 PM to answer your questions.
- Please feel free to bring your lunch, coffee, snacks, and so on. There will be a room provided for eating.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

A Day at The Writing Centre - Communicate Your Science
Saturday, March 1, 2008
10:00 AM ~ 12:00 PM, HHB 116
With Anudeep Kanwar, Department of Physics and Astronomy and The Writing Centre
Getting started in the sciences? Want to communicate your results and maintain a clear writing style? In this workshop, you will learn key points on becoming a more effective communicator for the sciences. Specifically, we will discuss style and structure of lab reports, journal submissions, etc. In addition, you will be given some tips on effective oral presentation at all levels (class, seminars, conferences). There is a limit of 30 participants for this session, so please register soon.
Please note:
- This workshop is free.
- There will be a writing tutor available from 10:00 AM ~ 3:00 PM to answer your questions.
- Please feel free to bring your lunch, coffee, snacks, and so on. There will be a room provided for eating.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

A Day at The Writing Centre - Grammar Hammer: Revenge of the Verbs ~ Part II
Saturday, March 1, 2008
12:45 PM ~ 2:45 PM, HHB 110
With Carolyn Pytlyk, Department of Linguistics and The Writing Centre, and Shu-min Huang, Applied Linguistics and The Writing Centre
The Grammar Hammer is back! The Grammar Hammer workshop is made up of three parts. Part I of this workshop focuses on grammar fundamentals. In Part I writers will practice identifying parts of speech as well as creating complex sentence structures. Part II of this workshop (by request) is all about verbs. In this session, writers will learn about tense, aspect and mood. Part III of this workshop is designed to help writers identify and correct common grammatical errors found in writing. Some of the error types covered include sentence fragments, comma splices, punctuation errors and agreement issues. There is a limit of 30 participants for this session, so please register soon.
Please note:
- This workshop is free.
- There will be a writing tutor available from 10:00 AM ~ 3:00 PM to answer your questions.
- Please feel free to bring your lunch, coffee, snacks, and so on. There will be a room provided for eating.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

A Day at The Writing Centre - Revising the Research Essay
Saturday, March 1, 2008
12:45 PM ~ 2:45 PM, HHB 116
With Tusa Shea, Department of History in Art and The Writing Centre
Q: How do you know if your essay needs revision?
A: Your essay always needs revision.
"Revising the Research Essay” is a workshop designed to demonstrate some of the key steps to essay revision. We will discuss how to identify and solve problems with essay organization; how to make sure your argument evident and consistent; and how to diagnose and revise issues of style. The session will consist of a short introductory lecture followed by examples and discussion. There is a limit of 30 participants for this session, so please register soon.
Please note:
- This workshop is free.
- There will be a writing tutor available from 10:00 AM ~ 3:00 PM to answer your questions.
- Please feel free to bring your lunch, coffee, snacks, and so on. There will be a room provided for eating.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

A Day at The Writing Centre - The Grammar Hammer: Good Grammar for Great Writing ~ Part III
Saturday, March 1, 2008
3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM, HHB 110
With Carolyn Pytlyk, Department of Linguistics and The Writing Centre, and Shu-min Huang, Applied Linguistics and The Writing Centre
The Grammar Hammer is back! The Grammar Hammer workshop is made up of three parts. Part I of this workshop focuses on grammar fundamentals. In Part I writers will practice identifying parts of speech as well as creating complex sentence structures. Part II of this workshop (by request) is all about verbs. In Part II writers will learn about tense, aspect and mood. Part III of this workshop is designed to help writers identify and correct common grammatical errors found in writing. Some of the error types covered include sentence fragments, comma splices, punctuation errors and agreement issues.
There is a limit of 30 participants for this session, so please register soon.
Please note that this workshop is free.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

A Day at The Writing Centre - Integrating Quotations and References into Your Writing
Saturday, March 1, 2008
3:00 PM ~ 5:00 PM, HHB 116
With Dan Harvey, Department of English and The Writing Centre
Not sure how to work outside sources into your argument? Notice that your quotations don’t “fit” in your sentences? Worried about avoiding unintentional plagiarism? Then this is the workshop for you! This seminar will cover: quotation form and technique (punctuation and style); the use of quotation integrators (e.g., conjunctions); how to modify quotations so they fit grammatically; when to quote directly versus when to paraphrase; choosing argument-appropriate quotations; tips for good summaries; and UVic’s plagiarism policy. Students are encouraged to bring current papers or writing samples with which to practice the reviewed skills. And yes, there will be cookies.
Please note that this workshop is free.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

Using Virtual Environments (Second Life) as Classroom Meeting Space [TA ProD Series]
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
6:30 PM ~ 8:00 PM, HHB 128
Virtual worlds, such as Second Life, have become active venues in which to engage with students, with some education institutions holding their regular classes "in world". This workshop will look at virtual spaces, what is being done, and how instructors could incorporate virtual worlds into their courses/labs/tutorials.
Any member of campus welcome.
Second Life Poster
TA ProD Series Information

Clear and Concise Writing
Thursday, March 6, 2008
12:30 PM ~ 2:00 PM, HHB 128
With Rebecca Mudge, Department of English and The Writing Centre
Do instructors often comment that your papers are awkward, wordy, unclear, or abstract?  Do you worry that your ideas get lost in your writing?  Do you have trouble with academic prose?  If so, you’re not alone!  Join TWC tutor Rebecca Mudge as she unpacks the notion of clear writing, focusing on the principles of style rather than the rules.  Topics include conciseness (reducing wordiness, eliminating “awkward” prose), sentence clarity (how to represent your ideas clearly), and cohesion (paragraph organization, essay revision).  Please feel free to bring your own work to the session in order to practice your new skills!
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

The Better Way to Organize and Share Learning Materials with Today's Students
Monday, March 10, 2008
12:00 PM ~ 1:30 PM, HHB 128
With Dr. Michael J. Fern, Faculty of Business, Dr. Cosmo Howard, School of Public Administration and Department of Political Science, and Ms. Inba Kehoe, McPherson Library
With the advent of the Internet and other technologies, traditional course materials are no longer in synch with students’ learning styles and preferences. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce and discuss Utilium, which is a new tool that helps instructors organize and share learning materials that resonate with today’s Internet-savvy students.

Instructional Technology Group (ITG) ~ Investigating Models for Faculty Development in Educational Technology - Group Discussion
Thursday, March 13, 2008
1:00 PM ~ 2:00 PM, HHB 128
With Dr. Valia Spiliotopoulos, Associate Director, Learning and Teaching Centre
This session will examine various strategies and models for supporting the effective use of educational technologies amongst faculty. The discussion will focus on challenges and advantages to promoting a culture of innovation amongst instructors, and also look at the latest research that may provide some insight into effective strategies and solutions. Please bring your experiences and questions to share.
Everyone is welcome to join the discussion.
ITG Series Information

Perfectionist Writers
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
3:00 PM ~ 4:30 PM, HHB 128
With Laurie Waye, The Writing Centre Coordinator, and Joe Parsons, Learning Skills Director
Does your need to be perfect get in the way of writing? Do you edit as you write or do you feel free to fix mistakes later? For writers who get in their own way, Joe Parsons from Learning Skills and Laurie Waye from The Writing Centre (TWC) will provide a session on how to overcome perfectionism in writing. Please note that the previous sessions covered the same material.
TWC Seminar and Workshop Information

Teaching Tips Series #6 ~ Active Learning Strategies
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
11:30 AM ~ 1:00 PM, HHB 128 [Lunch Provided]
With Dr. Valia Spiliotopoulos, Associate Director, Learning and Teaching Centre
This workshop will provide instructors with tips and strategies for promoting active learning in their courses within and outside the classroom. We will examine ways of getting and keeping students' attention, developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and increasing peer interaction. Consideration will also be given to how the effective use of multimedia and learning technologies can play a role in encouraging active learning. THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL.
Teaching Tips Series Information

Learning and Teaching Development Grant (LTDG) ~ Information Session
Thursday, March 27, 2008
2:00 PM ~ 3:00 PM, HHB 128
With Professor Marty Wall, Department of Psychology
Do you have a question about how your students are learning in your class that you would like the opportunity to investigate? Is there a teaching and learning idea in your discipline that you have always wanted to explore? Come find out how you can apply for a grant to assist you in achieving your pedagogical goals. We have made some modifications to the grant process this year to make it easier to apply and will share these details with you at the meeting as well as answer any questions you may have.
Open to all those interested in applying for Learning and Teaching Grants in 2008
Link to LTDG Information and Application Forms
Register